Tags
awesomeness, change the world, growing, Kelsey Timmerman, learning, Midwest Writers' Workshop, thoughts
At the Midwest Writers’ Workshop (MWW), I accumulated information from authors, from agents, from everywhere. I enjoyed the speakers. I enjoyed the lessons, workshops, sessions (honestly I have no idea what to call the hours spent soaking in all the words).
My friends Rena Olsen and Jamie Adams have been discussing the experience on their blogs. Go visit. They have lots of wisdom to share.
http://jamieadamswriting.wordpress.com/
Anyway… The Saturday morning schedule read “Buttonhole the Experts”. Huh?
Well, groups of six people could sit at tables with an agent, author, or generally smart person and ask any questions that popped in their heads. Ummm… my immediate reaction was “no way”. The thought of not being able to hide in a crowd scared the bejeezus out of me, but we went. Weren’t we brave?
*graciously accepts your praise* Thank you.
So there we were, staring at tables where pretty cool people would soon sit, ready to talk to us about various subjects. As we all know, I am not cool, so I fought back the panic. Jamie studied the layout and devised a plan, where to start and our path through the tables. She’s very good. I sat. I listened. I did not freak out, throw up, or sweat profusely. Yea! Well, turns out all the experts were nice, normal people, who do want to help.
Oh my gosh, possibly I am turning into a grown-up.
Nah.
For now, I want to focus on one topic. Kelsey Timmerman (follow him on Twitter @KelseyTimmerman and visit his blog http://whereamiwearing.com/) talked about finding your axis of awesome. We had no idea what that meant, but, hey, the table fit into our overall plan and who doesn’t want to sit at a table labeled awesome.
WELL, IT WAS AWESOME.
First, list your skills.
Second, list your passions.
Third, list your challenges, your obstacles.
Now, weave them together, find a path leading from one to the other. Let your passions guide you. Let the challenges of life teach you. Finally, link them to your skills and BAM! That is your axis of awesome. Use it wisely. For with it you can change the world. So I can write… some days. I am passionate about kids, about teens being able to grow up without judgement, without being told how to live, what to do. I have faced depression and wandered into the wide world without a clue. I can take each part and, like clay, mold it into, well, awesomeness. I can help teens. By writing fiction? Maybe. Or maybe as I let all this simmer in my brain, I will discover a bigger and better solution in the future.
When skill collides with what we love, fabulousness will be the result.
Let your awesome shine!
